Sell the goat…

A villager lived in a tiny house with his wife, 6 children, mother-in-law, a cow, and some chickens. It was making him crazy. So he went to the village rabbi and asked for help. The rabbi said he could solve the problem: he told the man to buy a goat. Thrilled, the man immediately went out and bought a goat. Now he had a wife, 6 children, a mother-in-law, a cow, some chickens, and a goat. The house was even more chaotic than before. The villager went back to the rabbi and told of the even crazier chaos. Again, the rabbi said he could solve the problem. “Sell the goat.” The man went immediately and sold the goat. Suddenly, all he had was a wife, 6 children, a mother-in-law, a cow, and some chickens. Things were much more peaceful without that goat…

(Living Your Yoga: Finding the Spiritual in Everyday Life by Judith Lasater, pg.37)

I once had a yoga instructor share this with me and I would like to pass it on. I believe this passage is telling us to declutter; to sell the goat. Now we certainly could stand to declutter in the literal sense; we tend to hold too tight a grasp on the material things in our lives–but let’s extend the message towards unfettering our mindsets as well.

We carry a lot of baggage with us everywhere we go; thoughts and feelings and worries and opinions and preconceived notions—all of which weigh us down. We enter into situations with a bias. We end up in a rut of recurring negative interactions with others simply because things have always gone down that road in the past. We don’t let ourselves enjoy the simple opportunities for fun because we are bogged down with schedules and lists.

Well this week let’s sell the goat. Use it as the mantra for your yoga practice…and maybe a bit for your day-to-day life as well. Practice becoming aware of your not-so-favorable tendencies (buy the goat) and then practice letting them go (sell the goat).

Try practicing Warrior III during your time on the mat this week. Click Here for information on Warrior III pose. As you hold this pose actively let go of the baggage. The worries that you might fall. The insecurities of how you might look. All of the thoughts that weigh you down. Allow yourself to experience the simple fun of this pose. It is a posture that can feel freeing and playful. There might be some shakiness, but it doesn’t have to take away from the enjoyment of trying it.